So by this point, no matter where you are in the New Year time-zone shuffle, you have been dragged from 2010 and launched head-first into 2011 because that’s the way the New Year rolls, my people. Even though, to every other mammal on the planet and all of the other life forms too, what has occurred is more like: the sun went down many hours ago and then it came back up again. So, in that spirit, Happy New Day! Make the best of it and/or keep your head down, or whatever mix of the two works best for you.

So how was your 2010? Mine barely sucked at all, unless you factor in all the stuff that sucked last year. In which case it was… difficult. Still, here I am, dipping my toes into 2011 which granted, is better than having gotten here toe-up. Sometimes it’s those little things

The one thing that everyone on the east coast of the United States, from Virginia at least, north, is that it’s snowing. Yup. Snow and lots of it, right during one of the heaviest travel holidays. Airports everywhere are closed down for flights in or out, which in turn, causes thousands of flight cancellations far away where snow never touches down. Same for buses and trains. Driving in some areas is not an option due to bizzard conditions. Families are incomplete, trips are postponed and/or given up on, non-custodial parents are cheated out of their time, and they can’t blame their ex’s any more than usual. Snowstorms come with their own aftershocks, just like earthquakes. The crap gist that keeps on giving…

On the other hand, were there no snow, everyone would complain of a bare Christmas, lacking in white. To paraphrase Twain, we all dark about the weather. Who amonst us does anything about it. Certainly not the National Weather Service. Have you ever called those people and actually asked for some service? Don’t bother. They won;t do anything except say things like “We’re not that kind of service, Mr. McIntyre” and “We don’t cause the news t happen, Mr.McIntyre, we just report it, haw haw haw!” or “Stop calling for the love of God, Mr. McIntyre!” Like I said, not much in the way of actual service.

The storm is expected to dump nearly 2 feet of snow from Philadelphia, PA, all the way up to Boston, MA. So, while it’s hardly a snowpocalypse, it has hit at a critical holiday/travel/visitation with one’s kids juncture, making it a perfect storm of suck. Thank God this didn’t happen yesterday, when all of cable was playing the same five movies in 24 hour marathon repetition. If I never see so much as a snippet of It’s a Wonderful Life I’ll be measurably happier.

So, while it’s obvious from the prose that I’m one of those non-custodial parents who were as eager to see their kids as vice-versa, I certainly wouldn’t have wanted anyone to travel in this mess and will just have to live with seeing them for a shorter period of time than promised. The storm promises to lessen come tomorrow, snowplows and sanders are out in force, and a region that gets snow every year will somehow manage to survive another storm now. It’s snowing, but life goes on.